Friday, July 31, 2015

Every summer, Jo drops her son and daughter off at her mother’s lakeside cabin, where she spent summers growing up and where she witnessed her boyfriend drown one tragic night 16 years earlier. Jo can hardly bear to return year after year, consumed by the guilt of the role she played in his death. Her daughter Caroline, on the other hand, relishes her time at the lake; that is until seven-year-old tourist Sara Starr drowns on Caroline’s watch. Rescue workers fail to uncover Sara’s body, and instead dredge up the bones Jo hoped would never be discovered. Caroline takes it upon herself to find the body, but as she searches for Sara, she uncovers the secrets her mother’s been hiding. And when Jo’s and Sara’s mother’s lives intersect unexpectedly the course of events takes a drastic turn.

Karen Katchur holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from West Chester University and a Masters of Education degree in Health and Physical Education from East Stroudsburg University. She lives in Eastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two children. She enjoys running and tennis. THE SECRETS OF LAKE ROAD is her first novel.

Welcome to my tour stop for Restless Earth and Blessing Sky by Emily Mah! This is a YA/NA high fantasy series. This is book 1 and 2 of The Sky Chariots Saga. The tour runs July 20 - 31 with reviews, author interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.

For over a thousand years, the Tanoa have relied on their Earth Shamen to bring rich harvests, temper stone tools and weapons, and imbue pottery with strength like metal. Now, though, the bloodline has dwindled to one Shaman, Tuwa, who is trapped high in the mountains, holding bedrock together to prevent a volcanic eruption while the rest of her people flee to safety. The only way to save the village is for her to sacrifice herself and buy them the time they need to evacuate.But her grandson, Ahote, refuses to abandon her to die. Rather than do as she asks—marry and bear daughters who might inherit her gift—he sets out to find the one person who might be able to save Tuwa’s life.Kasha is a Tanoa girl in who lives in Solace, a city of the pale-skinned Andalanos. If the Engineers Guild ever discovers her gender or race, they could order her execution—for in violation of the King’s law, Master Engineer Seamus trained Kasha as his apprentice. She is a genius in all things mechanical and earned her master certification when only fourteen years old. Since Seamus’s death, she has been discreetly working his job as the City Engineer.She knows there is no machine or technology that can save Tuwa. In order to complete this task, Kasha must invent a vehicle unlike anything the world has ever seen, and risk exposure and death in the process.

Master Engineer Kasha lives in hiding. As a Tanoa and a woman, she has no legal right to her title, and risks expulsion or even execution if the Guild discovers her identity. For over a year she has served as the City Engineer of the Andalano city of Solace, home to the Winged Riders and their pegasus mounts.Now, though, her people need her. The last of their Earth Shamen is trapped in the mountains, holding back a volcanic eruption so that the rest of her people can escape. It is a job for only the greatest of all engineers, and that happens to be Kasha.But when her kinsman, Ahote, breaks the most sacred law of the Winged Riders, an alliance with him means certain death. Kasha must work alone to solve the most difficult engineering problem of all time before the summer months are done and winter comes to claim the life of the Shaman and the hope of her people.

Emily writes as both Emily Mah (for science fiction and fantasy) and E.M. Tippetts (for chick lit). Her short stories have appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, The Black Gate, andanthologies like The Dragon and the Stars, Shanghai Steam, and The Change: Tales of Downfall and Rebirth. Her E.M. Tippetts novels have been on the Amazon Top 100 numerous times, and her novel, Someone Else's Fairytale was semi-finalist for the Best Indie Book of the Year - Kindle Book Review, and a runner up in Romance for the Best of the Independent Book Awards - eFestival of Words.She is a graduate of the Clarion West Writer's Workshop for Science Fiction and Fantasy and Viable Paradise Writers Workshop, and she often teaches the unit on self-publishing at the Taos Toolbox Writers Workshop.When she is not writing or chasing small children, she manages E.M. Tippetts Book Designs, her company which offers formatting, cover design, and editing services to authors and publishers.

Bits and pieces of the story have come to me over the past several years, but what inspired me to create a fantasy setting based on the American Southwest (where I grew up and still live) was my best friend’s PhD dissertation. It was on recent language shift for the Navajo – and yes, my friend and I are both geeks who talk about this kind of thing. Or… she puts up with me trying to talk about it. She’s very patient.

The heart of her dissertation was about some of the ways the Navajo have changed since the arrival of Europeans. That made me decide to set my book in a world with a Native American-esque culture and a European Medieval culture living side-by-side – to begin with at least. Once some catastrophes happen, they’ll need to figure out how to work together. I plan for this to go a little more smoothly than it did in American history, but only a little.

2. Who is your favorite character in the book?

I tried to have two, equally balanced main characters, but my writers group, and everyone else who’s read the manuscripts, has latched onto Kasha. She’s a Tanoa (based on the Tanoan-speaking tribes here in New Mexico) girl of only fifteen. In this world, women and Tanoa are not permitted to be apprentices, but she is a child prodigy engineer.

The City Engineer of Wingmount, where she lives, took her on, trained her up, and got her all the way to a Master Engineer without letting the Guild know either her gender or her race, so if they find out who she is, she’ll be executed.

When the City Engineer dies, he puts in her name as his replacement, so here she is, working this important job while living in hiding. Every day she worries about her cover being blown, and every day she does fantastic work, better than people can get anywhere else.

3. Which came first, the title or the novel?

The novel. That’s always how it is with me. Titles I usually get help with after the novel is done!

4. What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

There’s a scene where Kasha teaches all the young Tanoa children how to make fire balloons. That one was fun to right. After that point in the book, the skies over the city are full of fire balloons every night. It’s a visual illustration of way Kasha is changing her world.

5. Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you've learned as a writer from then to now?

You have to understand that Restless Earth is my tenth published novel, so the lessons were smaller than they might have been with my earlier works. I learned again how essential description and effective exposition are to fantasy. People often read it to be immersed in a whole other world.

6. What do you like most about the cover of the book?

Everything! It was designed and illustrated by Raya Golden and she just nailed it. I love how these covers convey that these are fantasy novels (what with the flying horses on them and all) but at the same time, not the typical Tolkeinian fantasy. The people have dark skin, and the colors are that of the deserts of the Southwest

7. What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2015?

I’m releasing five books this year, so I can’t really pick one. I love them all!

8. What was your favorite book in 2014?

That is a very hard choice to make, but I’ll say Something More than Night by Ian Tregillis. I’m not sure it was my favorite, but it was a favorite. I highly recommend it. Ian’s just brilliant.

9. What’s up next for you?

The third Sky Chariots novel will be out in September and then my next chick lit novel (written as E.M. Tippetts) should be out in October.

10. Is there anything that you would like to add?

Just a thank you for having me! I appreciate it ☺

Three (3) winners will receive signed ebooks of Restless Earth and Blessing Sky by Emily Mah

Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn in this one-of-a-kind romantic horror.“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

In the Fall of 2013, an original manuscript with accompanying sketches by Dr. Seuss, aka Ted Geisel, was discovered in the La Jolla, California home of the late beloved children’s author. That complete manuscript was for the picture book, WHAT PET SHOULD I GET?, and will be published by Random House Children’s Books on July 28, 2015. It is the first original new Dr. Seuss book since the publication of the last book of Dr. Seuss’s career, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! in 1990. WHAT PET SHOULD I GET? captures the excitement of a classic childhood moment—choosing a pet—and features the brother and sister characters that Dr. Seuss drew in One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.

This never-ever-before-seen picture book by Dr. Seuss about making up one’s mind is the literary equivalent of buried treasure! What happens when a brother and sister visit a pet store to pick a pet? Naturally, they can’t choose just one! The tale captures a classic childhood moment — choosing a pet — and uses it to illuminate a life lesson: that it is hard to make up your mind, but sometimes you just have to do it!Told in Dr. Seuss’s signature rhyming style, this is a must-have for Seuss fans and book collectors, and a perfect choice for the holidays, birthdays, and happy occasions of all kinds.An Editor’s Note at the end discusses Dr. Seuss’s creative process, his interest in animals, and Seussian creatures throughout his work.

Moo moo! Hoo hoo! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Oh, the wonderful sounds Mr. Brown can do. Now see if you can do them too! This fabulous book is ideal for teaching young children all about noises!This delightful book forms part of the second stage in HarperCollins’ major Dr. Seuss rebrand programme. With the relaunch of 10 more titles in August 2003, such all-time favourites as How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? and Dr. Seuss’ Sleep Book boast bright new covers that incorporate much needed guidance on reading levels: Blue Back Books are for parents to share with young children, Green Back Books are for budding readers to tackle on their own, and Yellow Back Books are for older, more fluent readers to enjoy. Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? belongs to the Blue Back Book range.

Theodor “Seuss” Geisel is one of the most beloved children’s book authors of all time. His long list of awards includes Caldecott Honors for McElligot’s Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, and Bartholomew and the Oobleck, the Pulitzer Prize, and eight honorary doctorates. Works based on his original stories have won three Oscars, three Emmys, three Grammys and a Peabody. Geisel wrote and illustrated 45 books during his lifetime, and his books have sold more than 650 million copies worldwide. Though Theodor Geisel died on September 24, 1991, Dr. Seuss lives on, inspiring generations of children of all ages to explore the joys of reading. For more information about Dr. Seuss and his works, visit Seussville.com.

"Oh, the wonderful things

Mr Brown can do!

He can go like a cow.

He can go Moo Moo.

Mr Brown can do it.

How about you?"

Dr Seuss has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child my Mom read me Dr Seuss all the time and then when I became a Mom I continued reading Dr Seuss to my child.

Mr Brown Can Moo, Can You? Is one of my favorites! It is beautifully illustrated with bright colors that engage a child's attention and keeps them focused on each page. I love that there are so many different animal sounds that children can mimic and learn to associate the sounds with the animals.

When I heard there would be a blog tour for a new unpublished book by Dr Seuss....I was completely honored to be asked to join the tour. Dr Seuss's writing is rhythmic and catchy and his characters are funny and bright and inspiring to children. I hope everyone checks out this new book and helps spread the news about Dr Seuss and his phenomenal writing!!!!

The weight of the world feels heavy on my shoulders. Desperation touches everything. Memories forgotten, truths untold. Humanity is threatened. Their safety granted in exchange for me. But I won’t go without a fight.With strange occurrences taking place in the city, it’s up to Elsa and her team to discover why. But an odd encounter at an abandoned warehouse leaves the team with more questions than answers. Just when the team least expects it, Alexander returns, and he’s not alone or without demands: the world’s safety in exchange for Elsa. They have only one week to decide while the world falls under Alexander’s wrath and his powerful army of followers. Avalon seeks help from every Nepherium that can be spared and hope it will be enough to stop Alexander.

A Kansas native, Samantha LaFantasie spends her free time with her husband and three kids. Writing has always been a passion of hers, forgoing all other desires to devote to this one obsession, even though she often finds herself arguing with her characters through much of the process. She’s primarily a fantasy writer but often feels pulled to genres such as sci-fi, romance, and others.

Among her writing credentials, a member of the Kansas Writer’s Association and has authored works such as Heart Song (her debut novel) and Made to Forget.Samantha loves to take time to enjoy other activities such as photography and playing her favorite game of all time, Guild Wars 2.Want more from Samantha? Keep up with her at any of her digital hangouts.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Today I'm excited to share the cover of On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander! This is the third book in the Bakeshop Mystery series and releases December 29th, 2015.

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the treats are killer good.It's the dead of winter in the sleepy town of Ashland, which means no tourists-and fewer customers-for Jules Capshaw and her bakery. But when she's asked to cater an off-season retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, business starts heating up...until Jules finds a dead body in the freezer."An intriguing new series."-Reader to ReaderSomeone at the retreat has apparently iced the bartender, a well-known flirt with a legendary temper-that is, before a killer beat him to the punch. Then, from out of nowhere, Jules's own ex-husband shows up at the shop-and soon becomes a suspect. With accusations piling up higher than the snow-and thicker than a chocolate mousse cake-Jules has to think outside the (recipe) box to find the real culprit...and make sure he gets his just desserts.

"A delectable tale of murder and intrigue."-Portland Book Review on Meet Your Baker

Ellie Alexander is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter to learn more.

This is my stop during the book blitz for To Be Honest. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 21 till 27 July, you can view the complete blitz schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.

A freak accident left Starla Emerson with a deformed hand, low self-esteem, and a need to fade into the background. However, she finds it impossible to be invisible at her new high school where she is pushed front and center by a behind the scenes internet bully.She joins forces with newfound friends to launch a counter attack in order to expose the cyber bully, aka grizzlygirl2015. Part of the plan involves the school’s bad boy Chase McFall. Star feels more for this golden eyed boy than she should as the plan progresses.The plan backfires and lands Star in a mountain of trouble. Will she have the courage to be honest about her part in the plan and her true feelings for Chase? Or will she be left heartbroken? Once the truth is out…there’s no turning back.

TC Booth was born and raised in a small town in Northeast Ohio where she currently teaches. She lives with her husband and four children ranging in ages from 13-23. Her pets include one dog named Sammy, and two cats- Sheldon and Sasha.TC Booth views books as the best form of entertainment and her escape for life’s stresses. She prefers reading a book over watching a movie, and writing over almost any other way to spend her time.When not attending her children’s sporting events and running them around, you’ll see her writing on her laptop, iPad, and even jotting ideas down on her phone apps.She enjoys the escape from the adult universe into the adolescent world. The passion in which young people experience life is contagious and the driving force of her writing.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Welcome to my tour stop for When the Crows Fly Low by V.J. Patterson. When the Crows Fly Low by V.J. Patterson is a historical romance and the tour runs July 13 - July 24 with reviews only. Check out the tour page for more information and the full schedule.

When the crows fly low…rain is coming.At eleven-years-old, Will Lawson discovers that Hell isn’t just a place for demons. It exists on earth in an act so evil it rips away a part of his innocent soul. In its place; bitterness, hate and a vow for revenge.Consumed by darkness, Will descends into a life of reckless living; booze and women the outlet for his guilt and despair. But meeting Sarah a beautiful young woman running from her own ghosts, changes everything. Finding his salvation in her, Will wades into the unfamiliar waters of love. Just when happiness is within his grasp, a familiar face returns to Will’s hometown of Doyle, Tennessee. A wicked twist of fate forces Will to decide between the girl he loves and his need for revenge. Is love enough to save Will from the darkness that endeavors to unravel his sanity?In this debut romantic drama, When the Crows Fly Low weaves a story full of suspense, loss, and love. It is sure to stay with the reader long after the final page.

Seriously the best book I have read in a while!! This amazing love story had me smiling, crying and praying for a happily ever after. I can see where some may not like the ending in this book but I appreciated how the author allowed Sarah to "live" and not just "exist". Most of the story takes place in the 1920's and 30's in the small town of Doyle Tennessee. I have a strong love for small southern towns!!! Sarah moves to Doyle to become the towns new teacher. The first time her eyes see Will she knew it was love at first sight! Will is the bad boy in town that everyone, including himself, thinks will never settle down. The author does an outstanding job of making the reader feel apart of this story...or at least I felt that way! I could not put this book down! Loved every page of it! It reminded me a little of The Notebook!! I give it 5 stars!!!

$25 Amazon gift card (INT) and a signed copy of When the Crows Fly Low (US)

Ends 7/28

Giveaway is provided by the author, bloggers are not responsible for prizing.

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Some­times Curling Up With A Good Book receives ARCs (Advanced Read­er Copy) of books for review. I do not charge for reviews, nor do I receive discounts, gifts or favors in exchange for a review. Other times I receive books from personal purchase. I am also an Amazon Affiliate and receive commission if an item is purchased using my links.